No credit card. Takes under a minute.

Login
INSIGHTS2 MIN READ

Overcoming Obstacles

GaryHorton

Published on March 2, 2015

Published on Wealthy Affiliate — a platform for building real online businesses with modern training and AI.

I've collected inspiring quotes for years. As a struggling novelist my collection of quotes have often been the only thing that kept me going. For years I pinned these quotes to the wall above my desk. I called it my cheer leading wall.

It's easy to think that obstacles are there to defeat us. That's what I believed for a long time. But, after reading Joseph Campbell's The Hero's Journey, I realized that obstacles are gatekeepers. They are testing us to be sure we're ready for the adventure ahead.

Like a troll guarding a bridge in fairy tales and myths, obstacles test us to see if we are strong enough and brave enough to pursue our own private mythical journey.

Sometimes it takes extraordinary courage to live the life set before us.

Here is what Booker T. Washington and Randy Pausch have to say on obstacles.

Ready to put this into action?

Start your free journey today — no credit card required.

“Success is not to be measured by the position someone has reached in life, but

the obstacles he has overcome while trying to succeed.”

― Booker T. Washington

“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us

out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want

something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it

badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.”

― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Share this insight

This conversation is happening inside the community.

Join free to continue it.

The Internet Changed. Now It Is Time to Build Differently.

If this article resonated, the next step is learning how to apply it. Inside Wealthy Affiliate, we break this down into practical steps you can use to build a real online business.

No credit card. Instant access.

2.9M+

Members

190+

Countries Served

20+

Years Online

50K+

Success Stories

The world's most successful affiliate marketing training platform. Join 2.9M+ entrepreneurs building their online business with expert training, tools, and support.

Member Login

© 2005-2026 Wealthy Affiliate
All rights reserved worldwide.

🔒 Trusted by Millions Worldwide

Since 2005, Wealthy Affiliate has been the go-to platform for entrepreneurs looking to build successful online businesses. With industry-leading security, 99.9% uptime, and a proven track record of success, you're in safe hands.